


honeymade

by shikachan



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Cutesy shit, Fluff, M/M, Pining, we love supportive friends, whipped like cream™
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:53:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23294293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shikachan/pseuds/shikachan
Summary: “He’s been staring at you for the past fifteen minutes,” Taeyong smirks suggestively.Mark’s glance flickers back to Taeyong, still oblivious. “No, he wasn’t.”“Dude, stop staring at him and ask him out already!” Jaehyun manages in between peels of laughter.“Shut the fuck up, Jeffrey.”orjohnny loses a bet. mark loses his mind.
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong, Mark Lee/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 6
Kudos: 220





	honeymade

The tiny brass bell hung above the glass door tinkles as a taller-than-average young man enters. Instantly, he’s greeted with fresh waffles and warm laughters. Orange hues of the lamps surrounding the diner illuminated his honey eyes scanning the room, finding for his friends.

Aside from having the best burgers in town, Johnny absolutely loves it here. It’s a remodelled diner sure, but the old school atmosphere was preserved, just the way he likes it. The retro neon lights, chrome tableware set, walls plastered with vintage pin-up posters and decorative license plates made him feel like the 60’s never left.

Though the sights were welcoming, his hook brows knitted in unsettlement. He gnaws his already chapped bottom lip, debating in his head whether he should turn the other way and head back instead. Not too late yet.

The preppy electone notes that sounded a lot like the beginning to _Sugar, Sugar_ blares through the speakers, interrupting his thoughts of escape.

“ _Ugh, shit music_ ,” he grimaces.

He rummages his jeans pocket for spare change and considers switching the song in the jukebox, that is until he catches the sight of a lanky figure with satin black hair. His heart lurches and almost immediately, he ducks his head amongst the crowd.

Those honey eyes dart around more urgently now. It wasn’t long before he spots his friends, already consuming half of the menu. With his head still bowed, he approaches the booth in the corner above the glowing neon sign and slides into his seat apprehensively.

The one with the diamond-cut jawline speaks up first, lips effectively turning into a smirk as he drawls. “You made it. We started to think you were gonna chicken out.”

Johnny rolls his eyes at Yuta, trying to look unbothered on the outside. “Not a chance,” he lies through his teeth.

Jaehyun runs his fingers through his strawberry brunette hair, a tuff of his fringe falling slightly past his brow. “Good, we don’t wanna miss out on the hilarity that ensues,” he eyes Johnny teasingly. Taeil lets out a chuckle in the corner, nonchalantly sipping his chocolate milkshake.

Johnny pouts slightly, accentuating his cupid’s bow. He’s starting to regret his life choices.

Yuta nudges the elder playfully, “C’mon, how bad could it be?”

“Which part?” Johnny retorts, “Losing a bet to three knuckleheads or asking the waiter out on a date as punishment?”

“With a cheesy pick up line,” Jaehyun reminds him with a wink. Johnny groans in reply.

The elder shifts his focus to the younger boy setting his serving tray at the bar as he talks to another waiter. Dressed in a white short-sleeve button down and dark pants, the boy exudes charm and poise but the watermelon patterned pen stuck down his front pocket displays a hint of childlike innocence.

“Aren’t you hungry?” Taeil’s voice rings in Johnny’s direction as he calls for a waiter to take his order.

“Mm, you should get the chef’s special quarter pounder,” Yuta points out, still masticating on the burger. “It’s a real knockout.” Jaehyun side eyes him in disgust, pulling out a handful of napkins from the dispenser and wiping the grease dripping down his chin hastily.

But Johnny was still lost in his own world. The diner became their official hangout place every Friday night, with Jaehyun rotating between Chet Baker and Charlie Parker on the jukebox while Yuta and Taeil constantly trying out new orders to fulfil their late-night cravings.

Which were all great _but of course,_ Johnny had another reason to keep returning.

The cute waiter (Mark, he learns his name from the name tag) reminded him of fine sandalwood and toasty warm blankets on a winter morning.

He seems like he gives great cuddles too.

Mark walks up to punch in the order on the POS system before setting his tray down at the bar. His senior and bartender, Taeyong, introduced him to this diner where they were in need of part-time waiters. The interview process went pretty smooth as well, seeing as Taeyong’s boyfriend, Doyoung, was the head waiter.

Doyoung, also in a white button down but with a red tie, approaches the bartender. He flips the tiny notepad in his hand, barely glancing up as he speaks, “Is table 15’s order ready yet?”

“Almost done,” Taeyong replies, pouring the drink from the mixer.

Part of being a bartender meant Taeyong had the opportunity to come up with various concoctions for the drink menu. Though most of his creations never really come up to par, Mark would say the real victim was resident taste-tester, Doyoung.

Doyoung _tsks_ , waving his hand in an attempt to hinder his boyfriend’s movements. “Will you stop topping everything with mint leaves? They ordered a drink not a garden salad.”

Taeyong’s plush bottom lip morphs into a pout, “Mint leaves makes everything better. Adds a little bit of freshness.”

Doyoung sighs, muttering something about _following the recipe_ under his breath.

Mark giggles as he hands another ticket to Doyoung. Over the past couple of months, he’s gotten used to their old married couple bickering. Happens daily between 12 to 3 pm or whenever Taeyong decides to be a brat.

“Thanks kid, don't worry I’ll sort out the other tables,” Doyoung pats the younger’s soft black hair. “Could you clear table 8 for me and then refill the drinks?”

Mark nods with a smile, “Sure, no problem.” 

When Doyoung is out of an earshot, Taeyong hunches forward and perches his elbows on the edge of the bar. He leans in close and his eyes are twinkling — but far from the innocent way that Mark’s used to seeing.

“Looks like someone has a secret admirer,” he sing-songs.

Mark raises a sharp, questioning eyebrow. The bartender simply directs his vision at the table in the right corner.

Mark blinks again, “What?”

“He’s been staring at you for the past fifteen minutes,” Taeyong smirks suggestively.

The younger follows his line of sight to the table, noticing a group of friends laughing loudly while one of them quickly blocks his face with the menu.

Mark’s glance flickers back to Taeyong, still oblivious. “No, he wasn’t.”

“Dude, stop staring at him and ask him out already!” Jaehyun manages in between peels of laughter.

“Shut the fuck up, Jeffrey,” the elder hisses back, still hiding behind the menu. _God, his friends are embarrassing_.

“Anything for you, sir?”

Johnny jerks up, his eyes blown wide almost comically at the sudden intrusion.

Doyoung raises a brow then pointedly looks at the menu still in Johnny’s hand or rather, face. Yuta tries his best to stifle a giggle.

The ebony haired boy stammers distractedly, “Uh, monte cristo and a coke please.” Doyoung nods and takes his order.

“That waiter’s kinda cute,” Taeil gushes, mumbling around the straw in his mouth.

The boys quietly assess the waiter with their eyes as the tall pale figure disappears past their table, noticing the way his server apron swings captivatingly around his slender waist.

Jaehyun throws a mischievous wink in Taeil’s direction. “Should we extend the punishment to you too?”

Yuta places a contemplative hand under his chin, brown eyes squinting. “I don’t know, he seems pretty close to the bartender.”

Right on cue, Doyoung is seen bickering with Taeyong, almost causing the latter to spill his drink.

Mark finishes clearing the table and sets the rag by the sink. He then tucks the notepad in his back pocket as he goes around, jug in his hand, refilling the customers’ drinks.

He admits, sometimes his mind wanders making up absurd and funny scenarios in his head when he overhears the customers’ conversations. Taeyong and him will then share their ridiculous encounters right before closing.

Mark approaches a table where a couple were seated by the window, tipping the jug carefully as he refills the empty glass.

“Hold on, what exactly are you saying?”

“Are you dumb? Siwoo, I’m breaking up with you.”

Mark winces upon hearing the conversation quickly turning sour. _Probably not the best story to tell Taeyong,_ he mulls over in his head.

He spots Siwoo running his fingers through his hair in distress. “I don’t understand, I’ve only left for boarding school for three months. I even called you every night!”

The girl twirls a strand of her hair in boredom. “Yeah, it was starting to feel a little suffocating.” She then pauses, the corner of her lips upturns slightly, “I started to lose interest in you.”

Something in his head rings almost ominously. _Just gonna refill his glass, then I’ll move on to the next table_ , Mark promises himself.

“When exactly was that?” Siwoo questions.

“About the same time I started seeing Mark.”

Mark tenses suddenly, the drink he’s refilling overflows. He quickly retracts his jug upon noticing and apologises. “Oh! Sorry about that, let me wipe-” he reaches for the rag in his apron pocket only to spot that it’s gone.

“Sorry that you stole my girlfriend?” Siwoo is seething red at this point.

The words are distant in this haze of confusion Mark’s in. His pupils widen as understanding slowly sets in. “N-no that’s not what I meant. Actually, I was going to-,” he points to the kitchen sink where the rag lies, hoping to make his escape.

Siwoo stands up, inching towards Mark. “You owe me an explanation.”

“No, he doesn’t!” the girl interrupts before curling around Mark’s arm. She mutters softly to him, “You don’t have to explain anything to him, baby.”

Mark wills himself not to cringe. “Please, I think this is all a misunderstanding,” his voice wavers, trying to detangle himself from the brunette girl. She pleads with him silently to follow according as planned.

But Siwoo was not having any of it. “It was you wasn’t it, you made the first move. You were trying to cop my girlfriend while I was away!”

Some of the customers started to notice the commotion, throwing them dirty looks for causing so much ruckus.

“Trust me, I don’t even play for the same team,” Mark mutters under his breath.

“What did you say?” Siwoo raises his voice.

Mark flinches and steps back. “Look, I’m really sorry but I need to get back to waiting other tables,” he tries to sound calm but a sense of urgency creeps through as he notices his manager coming out of the backroom to observe them.

He tries to get Doyoung’s attention but the elder had his back turned, occupied with another customer.

“Just leave already, Siwoo,” the girl commands, nose scrunching in disdain.

While the argument was still brewing, Johnny, who was seated in the booth beside had been eavesdropping on the entire conversation. He makes the conscious decision to intervene before things escalate out of hand.

Mark sees Johnny approaching his table and hurriedly apologises. “H-hi, sorry, your order is ready,” he stammers. “I’ll get it for you right away.” However, the girl keeps clinging onto Mark, preventing him from running off.

“Oh, it’s okay. Just wondering what the whole commotion is about,” Johnny replies amiably.

The guy pushes past Mark and meets Johnny’s amber eyes. “It’s none of your business, stay out of it,” Siwoo reprimands, his tone sneered and haughty.

Johnny raises his brows at his forwardness, but nevertheless, takes his opportunity to push on. “Well, if you’re going to harass the waiter then I believe it will be.”

“He’s not just any waiter, he’s my boyfriend,” the girl persists and truly, Mark is becoming sick of her act.

Johnny can’t help but chuckle at his statement, “I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

The couple exchange puzzled looks, genuinely confused.

Johnny slings his arm around the waiter. “Because he’s _my_ boyfriend.”

He’s not sure if the rest of the diner heard his confession but the atmosphere grows a tone quieter. The girl’s mouth drops in horror, mortified that her plan is ruined. Siwoo staggers back into his seat, too stunned at all the sudden revelations. Johnny seems kind of proud of himself.

And Mark feels like fainting.

His head is spinning, unable to comprehend what the _fuck_ is going on. How did he even manage to entangle in three strangers’ personal concerns? _Is he still single at this point?_

Amidst everything, he fails to notice the stoic man in a black dress shirt nearing his peripherals.

“Is everything alright?” a stern voice enquires.

The younger lifts his eyes to meet the manager’s stern gaze in front of him. His face pales. According to Taeyong, the man can be nice when he wants to but also turn real nasty when he finds employees slacking. Though he’s never gotten in trouble with the manager, that doesn’t mean he wants to start now.

Seeing that Mark’s still caught in a daze, Johnny swoops in. “Everything’s fine, just a minor spill.”

The manager cocks his head to the side and scans the overflowed coke glass on the damp table. “Sorry about that,” he apologises and turns to the waiter. “Mark, why haven’t you cleaned their table?” he questions.

Mark gulps and is about to spit out another profuse apology when Johnny intercedes. “That’s our fault, really. He was about to get the rag but we kept interrupting him.” He continues with a small grin, “Guess that’s what happens when you hire such an attractive waiter.”

“Well, as long as he’s doing his job,” the manager replies, his gaze still lingering on a fidgety Mark.

“Oh definitely. And we’ll be coming back too for the great service.” Johnny’s reassurance exudes confidence and wins over the manager’s good side, seeing that more customer retention equals a boost in their sales.

Johnny turns to the couple and plasters a smile. “Look, I’m in a good mood anyways so I’ll settle the bill. You get a free meal and I get my sandwich, sounds like a pretty good deal, don’t you think?”

The young couple, embarrassed beyond repair, nods and leaves silently. Mark finally lets out a deep sigh as he cleans up the spill with some napkins nearby.

Johnny hands a twenty dollar bill to Mark as he quickly rings him up at the cashier. Once out of an earshot of his manager, Mark’s shoulders slack in relief.

“Thanks for saving me out there.” His eyes are soft and grateful.

The elder waves his hands dismissively, “No big deal. Besides, they were kinda annoying the other customers.”

Mark glances up at those amber eyes down to his left dimple. It’s easy to notice the little features now that he’s not seated five tables away. He’s got an easy wide smile at pushes at his cheeks as his fingertips tap out a rhythm against the countertop that's clearly known only to him.

Johnny inhales a deep breath, “Are you French? Because Eiffel for you.”

Mark blinks, “I’m Canadian.”

Johnny, a little flustered, tries to clarify. “N-no, that’s not what I meant. Actually- um,” he lets out a tiny chuckle, “I lost a bet with my friends and am supposed to ask you out on a date. Promise I’m not trying to offend you or be creepy because you are cute as heck in the first place and I-”

“Saturday, 7pm.”

This time Johnny blinks in surprise, “I didn’t think that would actually work.”

Mark bites his lower lip. “I kind of owe you one. Plus, well, I couldn’t stop staring at your face during the entire service,” he adds on quietly. 

He sends Johnny a shy smile when he meets his gaze. Frankly, this must be the highest form of torture. Johnny simply doesn't know what to do with himself.

The elder scratches the nape of his neck sheepishly, his silver chain dangles against his chest languidly. “That makes two of us.”

Mark laughs, throwing his head back a little. He sounds so fond that it warms Johnny from the inside out. “Where should we go then?” Mark asks.

Johnny places a hand on his chin, “Hm, do you guys offer employee discount?”

“You still want the date right?” Mark deadpans.

The elder nods.

“Then we’re having Italian.”

Johnny’s laughter echoes through the diner. And Mark decides that’s his favourite sound.

**Author's Note:**

> hello!! im back with a bit of fluff heheh since my last fic was so angsty lolol 
> 
> hope everyone has been doing fine and please stay safe during this time 😊
> 
> thanks for reading 💞🌼


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